Krekenava Regional Park ( lt, Krekenavos regioninis parkas) is regional park in central Lithuania, mostly in the southern part of

Panevėžys District Municipality Panevėžys (; Latin: ''Panevezen''; pl, Poniewież; yi, פּאָנעװעזש, ''Ponevezh''; see also other names) is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2011, it occupied with 113,653 inhabitants. As defined by Eurostat, the populatio ...

(a small part in

Kėdainiai District Municipality Kėdainiai () is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. It is located north of Kaunas on the banks of the Nevėžis River. First mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle of Hermann de Wartberge, its population is 23,667. Its old town dates to ...

). It was established in 1992 and covers the area of . Krekenava Regional Park encompasses the

Nevėžis The Nevėžis () is the sixth longest river in Lithuania and one of the main tributaries of the Nemunas. Its length is , and it flows only within the geographical confines of Lithuania.Krekenava, Ramygala and Surviliškis towns.

Nature

43% of the territory is covered by forests (the main forested area is Pašiliai Forest). There are some old

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

groves. 1019 plant species are detected in the park, 31 of them are protected. The Nevėžis and its tributaries' valleys are significant nature area because of natural meadows. There '' Campanula bononiensis'', ''

Corydalis cava ''Corydalis cava'' is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Papaveraceae, native plant, native to moist, shady, woodland habitats throughout most of mainland Europe, although commonest in central and southeast Europe. Its r ...

'', ''

Pedicularis sceptrum-carolinum ''Pedicularis sceptrum-carolinum'', commonly known as moor-king or moor-king lousewort, is a plant species in the genus ''Pedicularis ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobancha ...

'', brown galingale, ''

Orchis militaris ''Orchis militaris'', the military orchid, is a species of orchid native to Europe. It is the type species of the genus ''Orchis''. Description This plant grows to a height of 20 to 50 cm with a robust stem with rather drawn up oblong ...

'', ''

Teucrium scordium ''Teucrium scordium'' is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Lamiaceae. Its native range is Europe to China. References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q158832 Teucrium, scordium Flora of Malta ...

'' grow. There are 846 animal species in the park, among them are the

Eurasian otter The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia. The most widely distributed member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of th ...

common pipistrelle The common pipistrelle (''Pipistrellus pipistrellus'') is a small pipistrelle microbat whose very large range extends across most of Europe, North Africa, South Asia, and may extend into Korea. It is one of the most common bat species in the Brit ...

, white hare,

natterjack toad The natterjack toad (''Epidalea calamita'') is a toad native to sandy and heathland areas of Europe. Adults are 60–70 mm in length, and are distinguished from common toads by a yellow line down the middle of the back and parallel paratoid ...

northern crested newt The northern crested newt, great crested newt or warty newt (''Triturus cristatus'') is a newt species native to Great Britain, northern and central continental Europe and parts of Western Siberia. It is a large newt, with females growing up ...

. Pašiliai

wisent The European bison (''Bison bonasus'') or the European wood bison, also known as the wisent ( or ), the zubr (), or sometimes colloquially as the European buffalo, is a European species of bison. It is one of two extant species of bison, along ...

stall (established in 1969) was the first place in Lithuania, where this animal was reintroduced. Now, part of the herd roams freely, while some are kept in the stall. There are

roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

red deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of we ...

fallow deer ''Dama'' is a genus of deer in the subfamily Cervinae, commonly referred to as fallow deer. Name The name fallow is derived from the deer's pale brown colour. The Latin word ''dāma'' or ''damma'', used for roe deer, gazelles, and antelopes ...

Eurasian beaver The Eurasian beaver (''Castor fiber'') or European beaver is a beaver species that was once widespread in Eurasia, but was hunted to near-extinction for both its fur and castoreum. At the turn of the 20th century, only about 1,200 beavers survi ...

aplenty. 160 species of birds nest in Krekenava Regional Park. From the rarer species the

black stork The black stork (''Ciconia nigra'') is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. Measuring on average from beak tip to end of tail with a wingspan, th ...

lesser spotted eagle The lesser spotted eagle (''Clanga pomarina'') is a large Eastern European bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. The typical eagles are often united with the buteos, sea eagles, and other more heavy-set Acc ...

, grey-headed woodpecker,

European green woodpecker The European green woodpecker (''Picus viridis'') is a large green woodpecker with a bright red crown and a black moustache. Males have a red centre to the moustache stripe which is absent in females. It is resident across much of Europe and the ...

, northern goshawk,

goosander The common merganser (North American) or goosander (Eurasian) (''Mergus merganser'') is a large seaduck of rivers and lakes in forested areas of Europe, Asia, and North America. The common merganser eats mainly fish. It nests in holes in trees. ...

northern shoveler The northern shoveler (; ''Spatula clypeata''), known simply in Britain as the shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and across the Palearctic and across most of North America, wintering in southern E ...

could be mentioned. Rare insect species as the clouded Apollo, tufted skipper, hermit beetle,

European stag beetle ''Lucanus cervus'', known as the European stag beetle, or the greater stag beetle, is one of the best-known species of stag beetle (family Lucanidae) in Western Europe, and is the eponymous example of the genus. ''L. cervus'' is listed as Near ...

, '' Ergates faber'' live in the park. Kelias Naujamiestis-Krekenava

There are some nature monuments: *The 'Rapolas' stone (compassing 14.54 meters) on the bank of the Linkava river; *The Daniliškis Lime Tree Alley (length 285 meters, consists from 350 lime trees) in Daniliškis village; *The Kalnelis Polytrunked Pine Tree (has 3 main trunks and many subsidiary trunks), near Kalnelis village; *The Gringaliai Forest Oak Tree *The Gringaliai Forest Spruce Tree

Culture

There are many cultural monuments in the park, such as historical Bakainiai hillfort in Bakainiai village, on the bank of the Liaudė river,

Upytė Upytė is a small village in Panevėžys district municipality in northern Lithuania. It is situated some 12 km southwest of Panevėžys on the banks of Vešeta Creek. It is now the capital of an elderate. In 1987 it had 580 residents. In ...

hillfort, famous as the former estate place where semi-legendary nobleman Čičinskas lived, Burveliai village with an ancient offering hill (''alkakalnis'') and mythological stone, also Barinė ancient burial place. Rodai II village hosts a chapel-masoleum (build in 1861) of the ''Szwojnicki'' noblemen family. There are relics of former water mill, distillery and copper foundry in Linkavičiai (former ''Slabada'' estate). Ustronė village hosts an old barn (from the 19th century) where the unique Book smuggling museum have been established by

Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas Juozas Tumas also known by the pen name Vaižgantas (20 September 1869 – 29 April 1933) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and an activist during the Lithuanian National Revival. He was a prolific writer, editor of nine periodicals, univers ...

. There is Stultiškiai windmill (build in 1880) with a flax industry exposition. Krekenava town is famous of

historicist Historicism is an approach to explaining the existence of phenomena, especially social and cultural practices (including ideas and beliefs), by studying their history, that is, by studying the process by which they came about. The term is widely u ...

Assumption church (build in 1902), also Upytė town and Vadaktėliai village have wooden churches. Famous cross maker Vincas Svirskis lived in Surviliškis surroundings. His wooden crosses' relics still remain in Iciūnai and Mučiūnai villages, also one is preserved in the Krekenava church.

Images

Stumbrynas2.jpg, Wisents in Pašiliai wisent stall Ustrones svirnas.jpg, The Book smuggling museum in Ustronė Krekenava1.jpg, Church of the Assumption in Krekenava Čičinsko kalnas2.jpg, ''Čičinskas'' Hill in Upytė Nevezis ziema.JPG, The Nevėžis in winter near Krekenava Stultiškių malūnas1.jpg, The Stultiškiai Windmill

References

{{Authority control Regional parks of Lithuania Protected areas established in 1992 Protected areas in Kėdainiai District Municipality Protected areas in Panevėžys District Municipality 1992 establishments in Lithuania